The COVID-19 epidemic has had a profound impact on China's economy. With the epidemic effective controlled in China, the whole country has reached the consensus that normal economic order should be restored as soon as possible. In order to actively respond to General Secretary Xi Jinping’s call for “coordinated efforts on epidemic control and economic and social development,” on 7 July, the Open University of China (OUC) launched a series of live open lectures on economics as part its Quality Courses by Famous Teachers programme.

The open course series, with the theme of “The Chinese Economy During the COVID-19 Epidemic: Growth in Crisis,” will be delivered as seven lectures providing suggestions and proposals for China's economic development during the period of epidemic prevention and control, It aims to offer audiences a new perspective on their study, work and life after the epidemic.

The public welfare courses will be open to OUC teachers and students, as well as members of society. They will be synchronously aired through a number of campus platforms and social media.

Famous teachers and scholars invited to the live broadcast courses include Professor Jing Linbo from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Evaluation Studies; Professor Lv Bingyang from the School of Finance, Renmin University of China; and Professor He Liping from the School of Economics, Beijing Normal University. The professors will give in-depth analyses of the impact of the epidemic on the global economy, financial market, e-commerce, the tourism industry, and cold chain logistics, and put forward strategies for recovery and revitalisation. Professor Yang Zhenyu, a lecturer from the OUC Faculty of Economics and Management, will also present his interpretations. The first lecture, The Future of Brick and Mortar Businesses in China and E-commerce in the Post Epidemic Era, will be given by Professor Jing Linbo.

The act of sharing high-quality education resources and contributing the OUC’s experiences to the country’s post-epidemic economic recovery demonstrates the obligations and responsibilities of the OUC as a university in the new era.

The live open courses were jointly planned and developed by the Faculty of Economics and Management and the Learning Resources Department (Digital Library) of the OUC.

By Xu Jinhai, OUC